Speaking to the Dons' official website, McInnes said that although he "did talk to Sunderland" he believes that there is still "so much to be done here at Aberdeen" which was a major factor in his decision to remain with the club.

Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne also spoke following the announcement, saying that he is "absolutely delighted" that McInnes and his assistant Tony Docherty will remain in Scotland, before adding that he "never doubted their committment to the club."

Milne went on to say that his manager has "real ambitions for the club" and added that he and the board are "all on the same page" when it comes to guiding the club forward in the upcoming seasons.

Bain stresses that Black Cats will continue their search for a new boss

Unfortunately for the Black Cats this means that their search for a manager continues, leaving them with less time to prepare for their upcoming season in the Championship as the days go by.

CEO Martin Bain issued a statement following the news of McInnes' decision, which stated that the club have been in discussions with "a number of potential manager candidates over recent weeks."

Bain said that following "initial discussions" it became clear that an agreement between the club and McInnes would not be reached and so "both ourselves and Derek have decided not to progress with further talks".

He concluded the statement by stressing that the club will now "continue with [their] recruitment process" in the hopes of finding a new manager sooner rather than later.